Author: Taqqut Admin

HIRING: STUDIO ART DIRECTOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

We are seeking a Studio Art Director/Creative Director that is first and foremost an artist who is able to inspire and teach artist teams on all projects. This position requires that the Director contributes to character design, layout and concept art. It is important that this individual’s style fits with the direction of the studio owners, and to help realize their vision of the studio. The bulk of our design work is for various transmedia projects, primarily for film, television projects and promotion is located in our Toronto office. The role will require strong design sensibilities and experience with digital media and web development.

We offer a flexible work environment that is fun and vibrant, with great development opportunities. We offer a mix of Nunavut and Ontario paid holidays, as well as corporate gym pricing. The salary range will be $29-$35/hour. 

This is a long term position, and the successful individual will be in charge of all art in the studio for every project.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a range of skills, including previous experience designing at a high level for print and transmedia projects. The ideal candidate works well in a team but is largely self-directed. They must be able to manage deadlines in a fast-paced environment. 

When applying for this job, please provide your resume, portfolio and demo reel by email to [email protected] no later than Feb. 28, 2022

Please note that we will only be contacting applicants who are residents of the province of Ontario or territory of Nunavut. Due to COVID-19 this will be a remote work-from-home position, and must have access to high-speed internet. A small Internet stipend will also be provided.

The Studio Art Director will take on the following duties: 

  • Meet with producers and stakeholders to inform design and discuss project specifics 
  • Work to develop unique and consistent look, feel and tone across company materials and project materials
  • Execute creative deliverables such as pitch documents, concept art, fun packs etc.
  • Consult producers and manager on time bids for various art department schedules
  • Inspire and mentor art team
  • Support with character design, layout and concept art
  • Stay at the forefront of animated design trends and techniques
  • Sit on daily/weekly art review meetings and send constructive feedback to the team

Required skills and experience: 

  • Extensive knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, and Illustrator) 
  • Experience with animation production pipeline
  • Five plus years of experience in an Art Director or Design Lead position is preferred
  • Completion of a graphic design or animation program is preferred

Skills that are an asset:

  • Motion graphics and After Effects
  • Toonboom Harmony
  • Procreate
  • Video Editing
  • Animation
  • Illustration

HIRING: 2D RENDER WRANGLER

We’re looking for a talented  2D render wrangler to join our team and help support the animation director.

The ideal candidate is an artist who would be able to complete any small AE projects and render animation files, assemble scenes and create weekly WIP reels for reviews and help keep the post and final render process organized. This is a junior position and the render wrangler will be responsible for monitoring and controlling the rendering process within the production of computer animation. The individual should be able to work on animation and VFX projects from the pre-visualisation stage until the project is delivered for compositing. This is a junior position, and they will be under the supervision of the animation and studio art director, with the opportunity to be mentored and to grow. The render wrangler is responsible for monitoring and optimizing the rendering processes on the render farm, to ensure established priorities are met. 

We offer a flexible work environment that is fun and vibrant. Great development opportunities. We offer a mix of Nunavut and Ontario paid holidays, as well as corporate gym pricing. The salary range will be $20-$25/hour.

When applying for this job, please provide your resume, portfolio and demo reel by email to [email protected] no later than Feb. 28, 2022

Please note that we will only be contacting applicants who are residents of the province of Ontario or territory of Nunavut. Due to COVID-19 this will be a remote work-from-home position, and must have access to high-speed internet. A small Internet stipend will also be provided.

Software Knowledge Required:

  • Toon Boom Harmony
  • Google Suite
  • Storyboard Pro 
  • Adobe Suites (After Effects, Premiere)

Required skills:

  • Strong attention to detail
  • Able to assemble scenes in an edit
  • Able to learn new technologies quickly
  • Work in an interdisciplinary environment
  • Strong communication skills in discussing requirements, deadlines and quota with Team Leader
  • Able to work independently and in a team environment
  • Able to take direction from supervisors
  • Able to meet deadlines

What we’re looking for:

  • Someone willing to learn, with a great attitude
  • Able to work and communicate effectively in a collaborative, fast paced environment
  • Highly organized and able to work in a systematic manner
  • Creative thinker
  • Problem solver
  • Effective time management skills and able to find efficient solutions
  • Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and resides in Ontario or Nunavut
  • Must have access to high-speed internet 

The Shaman’s Apprentice in Contention for an Oscar Nomination!

ᐊᖓᒃᑯᒃᓴᔭᐅᔪᖅ: ᐊᖓᒃᑰᑉ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᖅᑎᖓ ᐱᖃᑕᐅᕗᖅ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕋᓱᒃᑐᓂᒃ 2022-ᒥ ᐋᔅᑲᒥ ᓂᕈᐊᒐᒃᓴᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᔪᓕᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂᒃ ᓇᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᑕᑯᕋᕐᓂᓛᖑᔪᒧᑦ. ᖃᐅᒃᐸᑦ ᓇᓗᓇᐃᖅᑕᐅᓛᖅᑐᑦ ᓂᕈᐊᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᓵᓚᒃᓴᕋᓱᒃᑐᑦ 8:18-ᒥ ᐅᓪᓛᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᓇᖕᓇᕐᒥ/5:18 ᐅᓪᓛᒃᑯᑦ ᐅᐊᓂᓕᖕᒥ.
Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice piqatauvuq saalaksarasuktunik 2022-mi Oscar-mi niruagaksaujunik aulajuliuqsimajunik naittunik takurarnilaangujumut. Qaukpat nalunaiqtaulaaqtut niruaqtausimajut saalaksarasuktut 8:18-mi ullaakkut kanangnarmi/ 5:18 ullaakkut ualinirmi.
Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice is contending for a 2022 Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film. Nominations will be announced tomorrow at 8:18 AM ET / 5:18 AM PT.
Watch the announcement live here, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avbXw0kOlQc
Inuit girl descending into the underworld, her skeleton leaving her body, and the TIFF laurel in the corner

Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice to screen at Toronto International Film Festival

We are thrilled to announce that Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice has been accepted into the Toronto International Film Festival. As the largest public film festival in the world, TIFF has become an essential part of Canadian and global film culture. This year, the festival will run from September 9-15, and non-members can purchase individual tickets on their website beginning September 6. 

Angakuksajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice (2021)

Angkuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice is an animated adaptation of an Inuit traditional story, from the North Baffin region.

The Shaman’s Apprentice tells the story of a young shaman in training who must face her first test—a trip to the underground to visit Kannaaluk, The One Below, who holds the answers to why a community member has become ill. Facing dark spirits and physical challenges, the young shaman must trust the teachings of her grandmother and mentor, Ningiuq Angakkuq, and learn to control her fear.

This is an exciting narrative to bring to a larger audience, as it is steeped in Inuit traditional beliefs, and spirituality. Our goal is to engage a contemporary audience, but ensure the story’s authenticity is preserved. One of the challenges will be to accurately represent the northern community and time period with sufficient detail, so the audience is transported to another part of the world, and another time, and then seamlessly transition into the spirit world of Inuit traditional beliefs. This story’s cultural significance, and the creative challenge it offers to our team is what makes this project so exciting.

 

Credits:

Director: Zacharias Kunuk

Writers: Zacharias Kunuk, Jonathan Frantz

Producers: Neil Christopher, Nadia Mike, Zacharias Kunuk, Jonathan Frantz

Where to Watch:

https://gem.cbc.ca/media/the-shamans-apprentice/s01e01

 

Nanuq's Baby Brother book cover with a large polar bear playing with a baby polar bear

Tuktu’s Journey

This series follows the story of Tuktu the caribou and his friends on the Tundra. In the demo, Nanuq’s Baby Brother, Nanuq the polar bear is sad she doesn’t have any siblings, but when her annana (mother) makes a big announcement, Nanuq works hard to be prepared for the new arrival.

Based on the book published by Arvaaq Books, written by Nadia Sammurtok & Rachel Rupke and illustrated by Ali Hinch.

2D animation, Inuktitut and English 

 

Credits

Written by Nadia Sammurtok & Rachel Rupke

Title image of Tundra Friends

Tundra Friends

Meet the Tundra Friends! The Tundra Friends are a delightful cast of anthropomorphic animal characters that each personify a different emotion. This series features thoughtful, engaging stories that teach children to identify and regulate their emotions in healthy ways. In teaching emotional literacy, Tundra Friends lays the groundwork for good mental health. 

2D animation, Inuktitut & English

 

Credits

Written by Thomas Anguti Johnston, Aviaq Johnston, Nadia Mike & Nadia Sammurtok

Directed by Nadia Mike, Louise Flaherty, Nadia Sammurtok & Neil Christopher

Produced by Louise Flaherty & Neil Christopher

Book cover showing Putuguq and Kublu chasing each other with their grandpa in the background and title above them

Putuguq and Kublu

There’s lots of fun to be had on the tundra—especially when Putuguq and Kublu are up to their tricks! Putuguq and Kublu love to pull pranks and one-up each other every chance they get. But when their schemes don’t go as planned, the feuding siblings find themselves on the land with their grandpa learning about their ancestors. Based on the Inhabit Media graphic novel series Putuguq and Kublu, written by Roselynn Akulukjuk and Danny Christopher, and illustrated by Astrid Arijanto

 

2D animation, Inuktitut & English

 

Credits 

Written by Roselynn Akulukjuk & Danny Christopher

Directed by Roselynn Akulukjuk & Danny Christopher

Produced by Louise Flaherty & Danny Christopher

Mia and the Monsters characters hugging in front of a tent with the title above them

Mia and the Monsters

Mia and the Monsters follows a confident young Inuk girl and her quirky group of monster friends. Presented in the classic storytelling style of Winnie the Pooh, The Wizard of Oz, and Where the Wild Things Are, this series will teach kids the value of being kind, sharing with others, and being yourself. The Mia and the Monsters world is a camp with Mia’s tent and the monsters’ homes situated in a place that resembles the natural environment of the Canadian Arctic.

This story will begin in Iqaluit, Nunavut, and then the audience will be magically transported to Mia’s make-believe tundra world. The activities, tools, and games will be familiar to Northern children, and the series will give a glimpse of Northern life to children around the world. This preschool series will be filled with age-appropriate information and will teach important Inuit values of kindness, friendship, patience, and environmental stewardship.

Note: This series is based on a preschool book series with the same name, familiar to children across Nunavut.

 

2D & live-action children’s television series
Audience: Preschool (ages 2–5)
Produced in English and Inuktitut

 

Credits

Written by Neil Christopher & Nadia Sammurtok

Directed by Neil Christopher & Nadia Mike

Produced by Louise Flaherty & Neil Christopher

Scene from the Shaman's Apprentice with FIPRESCI award laurel

Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice wins FIPRESCI Award at Annecy Film Festival

We are so honoured to announce that Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice has received the FIPRESCI Award at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival. We would like to congratulate everyone at Taqqut Productions, Kingulliit Productions, and the Stop Motion Department whose tireless work paid off. For a full list of this year’s festival winners, click here.

Rita-Claire holding berries with the YMA symbol in the corner of the image

Anaana’s Tent nominated for the Youth Media Alliance Award of Excellence

The Youth Media Alliance (YMA) is an organization that seeks to improve the quality of Canadian children and teens’ screen-based media. Each year, the YMA offers awards of excellence to the best productions aimed at English- and French-speaking Canadians. We are honoured to announce that Anaana’s Tent has been nominated for a 2021 YMA Award of Excellence! Winners will be announced at the gala on May 26th. 

Title image of Tundra Friends

Production begins on Tundra Friends

Production has started on our new show, Tundra Friends! Tundra Friends is a children’s animated series designed to help kids develop emotional literacy. It follows a group of anthropomorphic arctic animals (each representing a simple emotion/perspective) as they go to school, play games, and navigate life issues that are common among the target age range of viewers. The show is expected to air next year. 

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Anaana’s Tent Season 2 (2020)

It’s summertime in the Arctic, and host, Rita Claire, sets up camp at her mother’s tent on the land. With the help of her old husky, Qimmiq, and a cast of special friends, Rita Claire sings songs, plays games, reads stories and learns new words in Inuktitut. Special guests, including Kathleen Merritt, Looee Arreak, Susan Aglukark, and Northern Haze, drop by to visit. Anaana’s Tent is an entertaining and educational preschool TV series that prepares children for Kindergarten. The series is a mixture of live-action, puppet, and animated segments and is filled with Northern stories. Anaana’s Tent teaches Inuit values of kindness, friendship, patience and environmental stewardship.

13 x 22 mins, live action & animation, Inuktitut & English

Credits: 

Head Writer: Neil Christopher

Writers: Nadia Mike, Nadia Sammurtok, Neil Christopher, Bronwyn Szabo, Ali Hinch, Philip Eddolls, Amelia Spedaliere

 

Directors: Roselynn Akulukjuk, Anguti Johnston, Mark Aspland, Neil Christopher, Daniel Christopher

 

Producers: Monica Ittusardjuat, Neil Christopher, Danny Christopher, Nadia Mike

 

Where to Watch:

APTN Lumi

Join us on social media:

Facebook: @anaanastenttv

Instagram: @anaanastent

Twitter: @anaanastent

Pinterest: @anaanastent

 

Anaana’s Tent Season 2 Trailer – Inuktitut

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Ukaliq & Kalla Season 1 (2020)

Set in the Arctic, Ukaliq & Kalla is an educational children’s animated series that follows two lively characters—Ukaliq, an excitable and impulsive Arctic hare, and Kalla, an even-tempered and intelligent lemming. This unlikely pair leads young viewers on entertaining and educational adventures that teach valuable lessons. Often unprepared and impatient, Ukaliq tends to get himself into trouble, but calm and thoughtful Kalla is always right there to lend a hand and help his friend. Together, Ukaliq and Kalla introduce children to life in the North and provide teachable moments for a preschool audience of 2- to 5-year-olds.

13 x 11 mins, 2D animation, Inuktitut & English 

 

Credits: 

Writers: Roselynn Akulukjuk, Neil Christopher, Champagne Brittany Choquer, Luke Coleman, Erik Blohm-Gagné, Nadia Mike, Nadia Sammurtok

Directors: Roselynn Akulukjuk, Luke Coleman

Producers: Monica Ittusardjuat, Daniel Christopher, Neil Christopher

 

Where to Watch:

IsumaTV

 

Join us on social media:

Facebook: @ukaliqandkalla

Instagram: @ukaliqandkalla

Twitter: @ukaliqandkalla

 

Scene from Giant Bear with the Canadian Screen Awards 2020 laurel

Giant Bear wins Canadian Screen Award

 

We are excited to announce that Giant Bear has been selected as the winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Short. We would like to extend our gratitude to the entire team at Taqqut Productions and edFilms, without whom this achievement would not have been possible. You can view all of the 2020 winners and nominees here.

Thank you speech
We are honoured to be this year’s winners of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Short. We would like to extend our gratitude to the entire team that brought the project to life at Taqqut Productions and edFilms. In particular, we’d like to acknowledge the work of Beatrice Deer, the film’s vocalist and part of the score team, Solomon Awa, who gave our film a voice, and Jose Angutinngurniq, who shared the traditional story the film was based on. We are incredibly proud to be recording and sharing the stories and voices of the North. Thank you!

Thank you speech in Inuktitut

 

 

CBC Short Film Face Off banner

Giant Bear to appear in CBC Short Film Face Off

We are so excited that Giant Bear will be a part of the CBC Short Film Face Off! Now in its 13th season, the CBC Short Film Face Off is a series that features short films from all across Canada, each one competing in front of a panel of judges. Tune in starting August 1st to watch Giant Bear and hear Louise Flaherty talk about it!

Scene from How Nivi Got Her Names and What's My Superpower with BCFF laurel

How Nivi Got Her Names and What’s My Superpower? to screen as part of the Bellingham Children’s Film Festival

Located in Washington’s Bellingham, the Bellingham Children’s Film Festival is a weekend of fun for all ages, with workshops, interactive activities, and screenings of some of the best children’s content. How Nivi Got Her Names and What’s My Superpower? Will be screening Saturday, March 7th at 12:00 PM. Click here to see the full festival program. 

Scenes from What's My Superpower and How Nivi Got Her Names with the Seattle Children's Film Festival laurel

How Nivi Got Her Names and What’s My Superpower? to screen at the Children’s Film Festival Seattle

We are so excited that What’s My Superpower? and How Nivi Got Her Names is included in this year’s Children’s Film Festival Seattle. The CFFS showcases films from all over the world. In focusing on diversity, racial equity, inclusivity, social justice, and global awareness, the CFFS works hard to bring some of the greatest and most impactful films to the next generation of movie-lovers. The CFFS will run from February 27th to March 8th, 2020. 

Scene from Giant Bear with GIRAF laurels

Giant Bear receives Jury’s Honourable Mention and Audience’s Award for Best Short at GIRAF Festival

We are so honoured to announce that Giant Bear has received both the Jury’s Honourable Mention and the Audience’s Award for Best Short at the GIRAF Festival of Independent Animation. The GIRAF film festival is held in Calgary and showcases underground, independent, and experimental animated films. Congratulations to all the amazing winners and nominees!

Scene from Leah's Mustache Party where Leah's Mom draws a Mustache on Leah

Taqqut’s Nadia Mike receives funding for Leah’s Mustache Party

We recently received news that Nadia Mike will be getting funding from the The Harold Greenberg Fund/Territories Shorts Program for her short film Leah’s Mustache Party. The film is based on Nadia’s book of the same name, and tells the story of a young girl who loves dressing up with a mustache so much that she holds a mustache party with her friends and family. The film will be directed and produced by Nadia Mike, and written by Thomas Anguti Johnston.

A man being lifted by a group of people at Unikkaaqtuat

Unikkaaqtuat featured in Ottawa Citizen following world premiere

Unikkaaqtuat is a live-action performance that blends music, theatre, poetry, and circus arts in a captivating rendition of traditional Inuit stories. The show is a co-production by Taqqut, The 7 Fingers, and Artcirq. Last Friday, Unikkaaqtuat premiered at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Following the premiere, Unikkaaqtuat was featured in the Ottawa Citizen, and was described as a feast for the senses, not only beautifully executed and gracefully performed, but also important.” You can read the full review here.

YMA conference poster (text reads: Children's Youth and Media conference, Toronto November 6-7-8 2019) next to Nadia Mike's headshot

Nadia Mike to speak at YMA conference

Our very own Nadia Mike will be speaking at the Youth Media Alliance’s Children, Youth & Media conference on Wednesday, November 6th. She will be a guest speaker on the “Growing up with Indigenous Stories” panel which will run from 1:15 – 2:30 PM and will speak alongside Monika Ille (APTN) and Jerry Thevenet (Indigenous Writer, Director & Producer, JerryCo Animation). For more information on the conference and where to buy tickets, please visit the Youth Media Alliance website

How Nivi Got Her Names (2019)

Nivi has always known that her names were special, but she does not know where they came from. So, one cold afternoon, Nivi decides to ask her mom. The stories of the people Nivi is named after lead her to an understanding of traditional Inuit kinship naming practices, tuqlurausiit, and knowledge of what those practices mean to Inuit. Through her names, Nivi is a little girl, a grandfather, a grandmother, and a well-respected elder. Nivi’s names connect her to the personality and character of those who have passed and make her family so much bigger than she thought before.

7 mins, 2D animation, Inuktitut & English

 

Credits:

Written by Laura Deal

Directed by Laura Deal

Produced by Neil Christopher and Monica Ittusardjuat

 

Awards and Nominations:

Award Nominee 

  • 2019 American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco, CA, USA) – Best Animation

Screening 

  • 2019 Vox Popular Media Arts Festival (Thunder Bay, ON, Canada)
  • 2019 Gig Harbor Film Festival (Gig Harbor, WA, USA)
  • 2019 FIN Kids Festival Tour (Atlantic Canada)
  • 2019 Nuuk International Film Festival (Nuuk, Greenland)
  • 2020 Māoriland Film Festival (Ōtaki, New Zealand)
  • 2020 Children’s Film Festival Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)
  • 2020 Bellingham Children’s Film Festival (Bellingham, WA, USA)
  • 2020 Underexposed Film Festival (Rock Hill, SC, USA)
  • 2020 Native Spirit Film Festival (London, UK)
The characters of Tundra Friends standing together on the tundra with the show's logo in the top left

Melody McMullan and Leslie Pulsifer to pitch Tundra Friends at OIAF Pitch THIS!

Taqqut’s Melody McMullan and Leslie Pulsifer will be heading to Ottawa to pitch our new show Tundra Friends at the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s Pitch THIS! competition. As semi-finalists, we will be competing with ten other semi-finalists for the chance to win the grand prize. Our pitch will occur on Wednesday, September 25th, and you can visit the OIAF website for more information. 

Whats-My-Super-Power__Still1

What’s My Superpower (2019)

Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. She has friends with super speed, friends who can jump so far she thinks they can fly, and friends who are better than her at a million other things. As Nalvana tries out each of her friends’ superpowers with no success, she wonders if she might be the only kid in town without a special talent. But then her mom shows Nalvana that she is unique and special—and that her superpower was right in front of her all along.

9 mins, 2D animation, Inuktitut & English

 

Credits:

Written by Aviaq Johnston

Directed by Justin Heymans

Produced by Neil Christopher and Monica Ittusardjuat

 

Awards and Nominations:

Award Nominee 

  • 2019 Ottawa International Animation Festival (Ottawa, ON, Canada) – Young Audiences Competition (Preschool)

Screenin

  • 2019 Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (Chicago, IL, USA)
  • 2019 Gig Harbor Film Festival (Gig Harbor, WA, USA)
  • 2019 Regent Park Film Festival (Toronto, ON, Canada)
  • 2019 Cork Film Festival (Cork, Ireland) 
  • 2019 Nuuk International Film Festival (Nuuk, Greenland)
  • 2020 Māoriland Film Festival (Ōtaki, New Zealand)
  • 2020 Freeze Frame International Film Festival for Kids of All Ages (Winnipeg, MB, Canada)
  • 2020 Children’s Film Festival Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)
  • 2020 Bellingham Children’s Film Festival (Bellingham, WA, USA)
  • 2020 BAMkids Film Festival (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
  • 2020 PLAY Lisbon’s International Kids Film Festival (Lisbon, Portugal)
  • 2020 Underexposed Film Festival (Rock Hill, SC, USA)
  • 2020 Providence Children’s Film Festival (Providence, RI, USA)
  • 2020 Reel 2 Reel International Film Festival for Youth (Vancouver, BC, Canada) (Festival cancelled due to COVID-19)
  • 2020 Aspen Shortsfest (Aspen, CO, USA)
  • 2020 The Scene: Youth Media Festival (Saskatoon, SK, Canada) (Festival cancelled due to COVID-19)
  • 2020 Dawson City International Short Film Festival (Dawson City, YT, Canada)
  • 2020 Anibar Animation Festival (Pejë, Kosovo) (online edition due to COVID-19)
  • 2020 Native Spirit Film Festival (London, UK)
  • 2020 Mill Valley Film Festival (San Rafael, CA, USA)
Scene from Giant Bear and What's My Superpower side by side with 2019 OIAF laurels

What’s My Superpower? and Giant Bear to screen at Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is one of the world’s top animation festivals, and this year it will be screening films from 36 countries and nearly every continent. We are thrilled to announce that What’s My Superpower? has been nominated for the Young Audiences Preschool Award and will have its world premiere at OIAF. Giant Bear will also be screening as part of the Canadian Panorama. The festival runs from September 25th to 29th. 

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The Giant Bear (2018)

Centered on a confrontation between the last monster bear and an Inuit hunter, Giant Bear is a chilling short that brings an ancient story out of the North. In Giant Bear, we follow a hunter in the depths of starvation. The snow is thick, his dogs are mysteriously dying and food is nowhere to be found. A quest for answers leads him straight to a nanurluk, an iceberg-sized polar bear, setting up a “kill or be killed” battle that pits one man’s wits against a fearsome foe.

 

10 mins, 2D animation, Inuktitut w/ English subtitles

 

Credits:

Written by Neil Christopher 

Based on the Inuit traditional story of “Nanurluk / The Giant Bear” shared by Jose Angutinngurniq

Directed by Neil Christopher and Daniel Gies

Produced by Monica Ittusardjuat, Neil Christopher, Daniel Gies, Emily Paige

Co-Produced with e→d films 

 

Awards and Nominations:

Award Winner

  • 2020 Canadian Screen Awards (Toronto, ON, Canada) – Winner of Best Animated Short
  • 2019 Athens Animfest (Athens, Greece) – Audience Award Short
  • 2019 Fantasia Film Festival (Montreal, QC, Canada) – Special Jury Mention for Short Film in Satoshi Kon Award for Achievement in Animation
  • 2019 Dreamspeakers International Film Festival (Edmonton, AB, Canada) – Outstanding Achievement in Animation
  • 2019 GIRAF Festival of Independent Animation (Calgary, AB, Canada) – Audience Choice: Best Canadian Short and Jury Award: Honourable Mention

Award Nominee

  • 2019 Yorkton Film Festival (Yorkton, SK, Canada) – Nominated for Kathleen Shannon Award
  • 2019 LA Skins Fest (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – Nominated for Achievement in Animation

Screening

  • 2019 Annecy International Animated Film Festival (Annecy, France)
  • 2019 Ottawa International Animation Festival (Ottawa, ON, Canada)
  • 2019 Regard Saguenay International Short Film Festival (Chicoutimi, QC, Canada)
  • 2019 Festival de Cinéma de la Ville de Québec (Quebec City, QC, Canada)
  • 2019 GLAS Animation (Berkeley, CA, USA)
  • 2019 Dawson City International Short Film Festival (Dawson City, YT, Canada)
  • 2019 Imaginaria (Conversano, Italy)
  • 2019 In the Palace International Short Film Festival (Burgas, Bulgaria)
  • 2019 Gen Con Film Festival (Indianapolis, IN, USA)
  • 2019 Anima Mundi (Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo, Brazil)
  • 2019 Wiesbaden International Festival of Animation (Wiesbaden, Germany)
  • 2019 FilmQuest Festival (Provo, UT, USA)
  • 2019 Vox Popular Media Arts Festival (Thunder Bay, ON, Canada)
  • 2019 Taichung International Animation Festival (Taichung, Taiwan)
  • 2019 KuanDu International Animation Festival (Taipei, Taiwan)
  • 2019 Nuuk International Film Festival (Nuuk, Greenland)
  • 2019 Foyle Film Festival (Derry, United Kingdom)
  • 2019 Sommets du cinéma d’animation (Montreal, QC, Canada)
  • 2019 Sommets du cinéma d’animation screening at Canadian Cultural Center Paris (Paris, France)
  • 2020 Māoriland Film Festival (Ōtaki, New Zealand)
  • 2020 Underexposed Film Festival (Rock Hill, SC, USA)
  • 2020 Weengushk International Film Festival (M’Chigeeng, ON, Canada)
  • 2020 Hiroshima International Animation Festival (Hiroshima, Japan) – Best of the World Announcement (no official screening)
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Anaana’s Tent Season 1 (2018)

It’s summertime in the Arctic, and host Rita Claire sets up camp at her mother’s tent on the land. With the help of her old husky, Qimmiq, and a cast of special friends, Rita Claire sings songs, plays games, reads stories and learns new words in Inuktitut. Special guests, including Celina Kalluk, Beatrice Deer, Looee Arreak, Meeka Arnakaq and the Jerry Cans, drop by to visit. Anaana’s Tent is an entertaining and educational preschool TV series that prepares children for Kindergarten. The series is a mixture of live-action, puppet, and animated segments and is filled with Northern stories. Anaana’s Tent teaches Inuit values of kindness, friendship, patience and environmental stewardship.

13 x 22 mins, live action & animation, Inuktitut & English 

 

Credits: 

Head Writer: Neil Christopher

Writers: Nadia Mike, Roselynn Akulukjuk, Daniel Christopher, William Flaherty, Maren Vsetula, Champagne Brittany Choquer, Philip Eddolls, Martha Grant

 

Directors: Nadia Mike, Roselynn Akulukjuk, Neil Christopher, Philip Eddolls, Daniel Christopher, Patrick Béland

 

Producer: Neil Christopher

 

Where to Watch:

APTN Lumi

IsumaTV

CBC Gem

Join us on social media:

Facebook: @anaanastenttv

Instagram: @anaanastent

Twitter: @anaanastent

Pinterest: @anaanastent

Anaana’s Tent Season 1 Trailer – Inuktitut

NUNAVUT CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL 2018 WINNERS!

The Nunavut Children’s Film Festival 2018 is an Inuktitut literacy initiative developed by the Nunavut Bilingual Education Society (NBES) to support Inuktut LanguageMonth. The festival consists of a 40-minute program of Inuit language films. We asked the participating children to vote for their favourite film and they did! The winner for best short film is The Owl and The Lemming. The film The Fox and The Chickadee is the Honourable Mention.

Filming wraps on Anaana’s Tent!

That’s a wrap! After a month of filming the first season of Anaana’s Tent, to air on APTN this coming Fall, we wrapped filming in December.

 

Anaana’s Tent is an entertaining and educational children’s series that mixes animation, puppets, and live action. This series is designed for preschool children between 2 and 5 years old. Anaana’s Tent is loosely modelled after classic educational series such as Sesame Street, Mr. Dressup, and Dora the Explorer. Each episode of Anaana’s Tent will be built around an educational theme and provide developmentally appropriate activities with the help of our cast of recurring characters, cultural performers, musical guests, and animated sequences. Set in the Arctic, this distinctly Northern show will showcase talent from across Nunavut and introduce new cultural traditions and language to children across Canada.

 

Here’s a sneak peek! Check out the photos below for scenes from the set of Anaana’s Tent, featuring our host, Rita-Claire, and guest Celina Kalluk.

 

 

 

 

Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing (2017)

Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing tells the story of an ice-fishing trip taken by two unlikely friends—Ukaliq the Arctic hare and Kalla the lemming. Well-meaning but impatient, Ukaliq can’t catch a single Arctic char! Good thing Kalla is there. Embodying the calm, thoughtful nature of traditional hunters and those who live in the Arctic, Kalla shares his wisdom—and his snacks—with his unprepared friend. This fun, the educational short film shows how important it is to be patient, kind, and prepared for whatever comes.

5 minutes, 2D animation

Credits:

Written and Directed by Nadia Mike
Produced by Neil Christopher, Danny Christopher, and Louise Flaherty

 

Awards and Nominations:

Award Winner
  • 2017 Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum Native Cinema Showcase (New Mexico, USA) – Best Animated Short
Award Nominee
  • 2017 American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco, CA, USA) – Nominated for Animated Short
  • 2017 LA Skins Film Fest (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – Nominated for Best Animation
Screening
  • 2019 Nuuk International Film Festival (Nuuk, Greenland)

 

Join us on social media:

Facebook: @ukaliqandkalla

Instagram: @ukaliqandkalla

Twitter: @ukaliqandkalla

The Owl and the Lemming (2016)

The oral history of Inuit is filled with many folktales, legends, and myths. In this traditional story, a young owl catches a lemming to eat. Inuit stories are often instructive, and with this fable, children quickly learn the value of being clever and humble, and why pride and arrogance are to be avoided.
This short puppet film utilizes composited photographs and a set made with actual Arctic plants and lichen to create an authentic retelling of this ancient Arctic fable. This short film provides a glimpse of traditional Inuit values and beliefs.

3 minutes, Puppet animation 

Credits:

Directed by Roselynn Akulukjuk
Produced by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher
Screenplay by Roselynn Akulukjuk and Neil Christopher

Awards and Nominations:

Award Winner
  • 2017 Short. Sweet. Film Fest (Cleveland, OH, USA) – Honourable Mention in Animation
  • 2016 American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco, CA, USA) – Best Animation Co-Winner
Award Nominee
  • 2017 West Chester International Short Film Festival (West Chester, PA, USA) – Nominated for Best Animation Film
  • 2017 Yorkton Film Festival (Yorkton, SK, Canada) – Nominated in Children’s & Youth Category
  • 2017 Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum – Native Cinema Showcase (New Mexico, USA) – Nominated for Best Animated Short
  • 2016 LA Skins Film Fest (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – Nominated for Achievement in Animation Filmmaking
Screening
  • 2019 Nuuk International Film Festival (Nuuk, Greenland)

Little Folk of the Arctic (2015)

In the folklore of most cultures around the world there are stories of magical little folk. And the Arctic is no exception. Inuit traditional knowledge is filled with references to many different races and tribes of little folk. These beings always try to avoid human encounters, but over the years Inuit hunters and shaman have gathered stories and experiences to help us understand these small inhabitants.
This short introduces viewers to the little folk of the Arctic.

3 minutes, 2D animation 

Credits:

Directed by Neil Christopher
Produced by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher
Screenplay by Neil Christopher

Awards and Nominations:

Best Short Animation, Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival (2016)

Best Animation (Nominee), American Indian Film Festival (2016)

Achievement in Animation Filmmaking (Nominee), Los Angeles Skins Film Festival (2016)

Best Animation (Nominee), Yorkton Film Festival (2017)

Awards and Nominations:

Award Winner
  • 2016 American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco, CA, USA) – Best Animation Co-Winner
  • 2016 Seoul Guro International Kids Film Festival (Seoul, South Korea) – Best Short Animation Winner
Award Nominee
  • 2017 Yorkton Film Festival (Yorkton, SK, Canada) – Nominated in Animation Category
  • 2016 LA Skins Film Fest (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – Nominated for Achievement in Animation Filmmaking
Screening
  • 2019 Nuuk International Film Festival (Nuuk, Greenland)

Ogress of the Gravelbank (2015)

Inuit oral history is filled with strange beings and supernatural creatures. One of these feared land spirits is the Ogress of the Gravelbank. This cruel being was known to lure children into her lair and trap them there. All that perish in that cave remain there as spirits and animated corpses.
This short vignette introduces viewers to this malevolent spirit who is unknown to all but the people of the far north.

3 minutes, 2D animation 

Credits:

Directed by Neil Christopher
Produced by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher
Screenplay by Neil Christopher

Awards and Nominations: 

Achievement in Animation Filmmaking (Nominee), Los Angeles Skins Film Festival (2016)

Best Animation (Nominee), Yorkton Film Festival (2017)

Awards and Nominations:

Award Winner
  • 2016 CreActive International Open Film Festival (Dhaka, Bangladesh) – Special Mention Award for “Animation Film”
  • 2015 Yorkton Film Festival (Yorkton, SK, Canada) – Best Children’s and Youth Production Winner

Anaana’s Tent Casting Call

anaanas-tent-casting-poster-online

ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᐊᑕᖃᑦᑕᕋᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ: ᐊᕐᓇᖅ ᐊᕐᕌᒍᓕᒃ 20-40ᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᑦᑎᐊᕙᐅᓗᓂ ᓴᐃᓕᓗᓂ ᓂᐱᖓ ᓴᐃᓕᓇᖅᑑᓗᓂ ᐅᖃᐅᓰᖕᓂᒃ ᒪᕐᕉᖕᓂᒃ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᕐᓗᓂ, ᕿᑭᖅᑖᓗᖕᒥᐅᔭᕐᓗᓂ

ᐊᔾᔨᓕᐅᒐᐅᖃᑦᑕᓛᕐᒥᔪᓂᒃᑕᐅᖅ: ᑭᒃᑯᓕᒫᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᒍᓐᓇᖅᑐᑦ: ᐊᖑᑏᑦ, ᐊᕐᓇᐃᑦ, ᒪᒃᑯᒃᑐᑦ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᓱᕈᓰᑦ (ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑦᑕᕐᓗᑎᒃ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐅᖃᓪᓚᖃᑦᑕᖏᓪᓗᑎᒃ)

ᑎᑎᕋᕆᐊᓕᒃ ᑎᑎᕋᕈᒃ ᓇᓂᔪᓐᓇᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᐃᑭᐊᖅᑭᕕᒃᑯᑦ www.taqqut.com ᐅᐸᒍᑎᒍᕕᓪᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᓛᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑎᐱᕆ 25ᒥ, ᐊᑯᓐᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ 11:00 ᐅᓪᓛᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ 4:00 ᐅᓪᓗᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᐅᓚᔫᒐᓕᐊᖑᖃᑦᑕᕋᔭᖅᑐᒥᒃ ᕿᓂᓕᖅᐸᑕ. ᑕᑯᓛᕈᒪᔪᒍᑦ ᐃᓕᖕᓂᒃ! ᐊᐱᖅᑯᑎᒃᓴᖃᕈᕕᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᕆᑦ [email protected].

Lead role: Woman Aged 20-40 Gentle and kind demeanor Soothing voice Fluently bilingual, with a Baffin dialect

Secondary roles: Open to all: men, women, youth, and children (Speaking and non-speaking)

Please fill out the form available online (www.taqqut.com) and on location and bring it to the Arctic College on September 25th, between 11:00am and 4:00pm for this open casting call. We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Summer Jobs Program: Production Assistant Position

Student Summer Job Opportunity: Production Assistant and Grip

Employer: Taqqut Productions, Iqaluit, NU
Reports To: Production Team
Terms of Employment: Immediate – August 29, 2016 (Summer Student Position)
Compensation:  $20/hour
Contact Information: Brittany Choquer, [email protected]

Key Purpose of the Job:
To assist the production team in the smooth running of projects by ensuring all office and film work is conducted efficiently.

We are looking for a student returning to full-time post-secondary studies in the fall and is excited by the prospect of working in film, TV, and animation. The production assistant position will involve assisting with film projects and many tasks that occur on set and behind the scenes, including administrative work, problem solving, and creating content. There will be opportunities to learn different aspects of filmmaking, including camera work, cinematography, set design and editing. Please note this is a hands-on job that may include some light construction, lifting and outdoor activities, as needed.

Duties include:

  • Assisting with set design and construction
  • Scouting, photographing and arranging filming locations
  • Arranging props and sets
  • Running errands for film crew (picking up supplies and tools, prep work)
  • Contributing to creative segment ideas
  • Assisting with camera work
  • Assisting with set lighting
  • Assisting with puppeteering

Required skills:

  • Clear communicator
  • Focussed and organized
  • Adaptable to changing scenarios
  • Motivated and takes initiative
  • Calm and personable under pressure
  • Works well under tight deadlines
  • Fast learner of new workflows
  • Someone who is passionate about film, TV and animation!

Preferred but not essential:

  • A driver’s license
  • Inuktitut language skills
  • Video editing experience

About Taqqut Productions:

Taqqut Productions Inc. is an Inuit-owned film production company located in Iqaluit, Nunavut. Taqqut films have screened at festivals in eighteen countries, and have won over twenty international awards. Taqqut has established itself as an innovative leader in Northern youth and children’s productions, and aims to preserve the rich storytelling culture of the North.

Production photos for The Owl and the Lemming

Construction is underway for The Owl and the Lemming, a short puppet film by Roselynn Akulukjuk that will begin filming in November!

In the tundra, there was a young owl whose parents thought it was time for him to learn to hunt by himself. When they saw a lemming nearby, they sent the young owl to hunt it, but the lemming was clever. She tricked the owl by playing a game that she knew she would lose to enable her escape.

Check out some photos below from the first stages of set and character construction for this new film based on a traditional Inuit story.

Production of The Owl and the Lemming

Production of The Owl and the Lemming

Production of The Owl and the Lemming

Production of The Owl and the Lemming

Production of The Owl and the Lemming

Production of The Owl and the Lemming

Amaqqut Nunaat screens at Toronto Animated Image Society

On June 18, Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves screened at the Toronto Animated Image Society as part of Welcome to Kanata, a selection of short animated films by Aboriginal filmmakers. An initiative of the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the program was presented as part of National Aboriginal History Month and is currently on tour. You can watch the program trailer and read about the other included films here.

The Orphan and the Polar Bear screens at Comic-Con

The Orphan and the Polar Bear will screen at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival! Comic-Con brings together over 100,000 fans of comics, video games, films, and television, making it one of the biggest conventions of its kind in the world. Director/producer/screenwriter Neil Christopher and animator Daniel Gies will be presenting at a panel following the screening on July 10. View the full film schedule here.

The Orphan and the Polar Bear honoured at imagineNATIVE

The Orphan and the Polar Bear has been named an Honourable Mention in the category of Canadian Short Drama at this year’s imagineNATIVE festival! Now in its 15th year, imagineNATIVE presents Indigenous-created film and art from around the world. Our earlier film, Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves, won Best Canadian Short Drama at the festival in 2011, as well as the Cynthia-Lickers Sage Award for Emerging Talent. You can view all of this year’s winning titles here!

Amaqqut Nunaat wins at LA Fear + Fantasy Film Festival

Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves was named Best Animated Short at this month’s Los Angeles Fear + Fantasy Film Festival! The festival took place at Los Angeles’s historic Victory Theater, and director/producer/writer Neil Christopher was on hand to enjoy all the spooky and fantastical films on offer. We are thrilled to have been honoured at this great festival! You can view all the winners here.

Another Best Animation win for The Orphan and the Polar Bear

The Orphan and the Polar Bear has been named Best Animation at this year’s Fort McMurray International Film Festival! The festival took place August 8 to 10 and featured over 80 hours of programming from Canada and around the world. The Orphan and the Polar Bear has also received award nods at the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival, the West Chester International Short Film Festival, SENE Festival, and the Mount Dora Family Film Festival. You can view all the winners here.

The Orphan And The Polar Bear Wins Best Animation

The Orphan and the Polar Bear, a short film based on our book of the same name, has been awarded Best Animation at the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival! The Amautalik, based on a story from our Stories of the Amautalik, was also honoured as a finalist. View all the winning and nominated titles here, and be sure to check out the trailers for The Orphan and the Polar Bear and The Amautalik.

Three Taqqut films officially selected for FilmQuest

All three of our completed films–Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of WolvesThe Orphan and the Polar Bear, and The Amautalik–were official selections at this year’s FilmQuest Festival!

FilmQuest is a festival of the fantastic, featuring horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. The festival took place June 30 to July 5, 2014, in Salt Lake City. Learn more about the fest here, and view the trailers for our finished films here.

Featured Video Play Icon

The Amautalik (2014)

A neglected orphan and a kind little girl encounter one of the most dangerous land spirits from Inuit folktales—the Amautalik. This huge creature wanders the tundra, looking for children or lone travellers. When the Amautalik finds the two children far away from the safety of their camp, she is certain of her prize. But she didn’t count on the little orphan’s quick-thinking response.

Directed by Neil Christopher
Produced by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher
7 minutes
Stop-motion animation

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Featured Video Play Icon

The Orphan and the Polar Bear (2013)

According to Inuit oral history, long ago animals had the power of speech, could shift their appearances, and could even assume human form. In The Orphan and the Polar Bear, a neglected orphan is adopted by a polar bear elder. Under the bear’s guidance, the little orphan learns the skills he will need to survive and provide for himself.

Directed by Neil Christopher
Produced by Louise Flaherty and Neil Christopher
9 minutes
2D animation

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